What
to
Expect

Get Signed Up!

Before the race

Email 1 week prior

On June 7th, one week before the race, we will send a detailed email to the address you used to register. This email will include:

  • Your Wave Number

  • Location Map/Link

  • Site Map

  • Water Temperature Forecast

  • Weather Temperature Forecast

  • Detailed Safety Information

  • Packet Pick-Up Location, Date, and Time

  • Final Race Day Schedule

  • Any Other Last-Minute Instructions

Packet Pick-up

We will offer two options for you to pick up your swim packet—the day before the swim (details about this option will be listed in the Email on June 7th), or the day of the swim. Most people opt to pick up their packet the day before so that they can have all the gear in advance. All swimmers will be required to sign a liability waiver in person when they pick up their packet, so you cannot have another person pick up your packet for you. 

Your swim packet will contain: 

  • Swim Cap w/ Swim Number

  • Swim Number Tag (for your gear bag)

  • Race Day Schedule

  • Timing Chip (which you must return to us after the race)

What else to Bring

In addition to the 4 items included in your packet, we recommend you bring:

  • Swim Buoy Tow Float*

  • Wetsuit^

  • Sandals/Flip-flops

  • Goggles

  • Towels (one to dry off, and one to sit on while changing)

  • Warm Clothes (to change into after your swim)

  • Warm drinks (to consume after your swim)

  • A bag to hold all this gear with your Swim Number Tag attached to it

*Mandatory to swim in the race

^We will require that swimmers wear a wetsuit if the water temperature is at or below 60 degrees Fahrenheit, and we will recommend that swimmers wear a wetsuit if the water temperature is at or below 72 degrees Fahrenheit. These are the same recommendations that USMS follows for their open water swims. 

Cancellations

If case of emergencies, such as severe weather or detrimental water conditions, we may need to cancel the race, and we need make this call at the very last minute (lightning the morning of the race, for example). You will be notified of a cancellation at the email you used to register for the race online, and we will offer no refunds. 

on race day

Plan to arrive one hour prior to the start of your wave so that you have plenty of time to park, walk to the event, check-in, and attend the mandatory pre-race briefing.

We plan to run three waves of swimmers one hour a part starting at 7:30 AM. You will receive an email the week prior that identifies your wave number, so you can plan your arrival accordingly.

Tentative Schedule*

TIMES & ACTIVITIES

  • 6:30 AM - Check-in Table Opens

  • 6:55 AM - Check-in for Wave #1 Closes

  • 7:00 AM - Pre-race briefing for Wave #1        (MANDATORY)

  • 7:30 AM - Start time for Wave #1

  • 7:55 AM - Check-in for Wave #2 Closes

  • 8:00 AM - Pre-race briefing for Wave #2        (MANDATORY)

  • 8:15 AM - End time for Wave #1; remaining swimmers get pulled

  • 8:30 AM - Start time for Wave #2

  • 8:55 AM - Check-in Table Closes

  • 9:00 AM - Pre-race briefing for Wave #3        (MANDATORY)

  • 9:15 AM - End time for Wave #2; remaining swimmers get pulled

  • 9:30 AM - Start time for Wave #3

  • 10:15 AM - End time for Wave #3; remaining swimmers get pulled

  • 10:30 AM - Event Wrap-up

*The final schedule of activities will be sent via email on Sunday, 6/7, one week prior to the race date.

Location

The race will be held at the Tom McCall Waterfront Park – Bowl Area, which is located immediately South of the Hawthorne Bridge on the West side of the Willamette River. Search for “South Hawthorne Waterfront Park” in your map app for directions.

Parking 

The city offers public parking under the Hawthorne Bridge with access from Naito Parkway, but it is very limited. You can also find three parking garages within about a block of the race site. Search for “parking” in your map app for locations. 

Arrival

After walking from your parking site to the Tom McCall Waterfront Park – Bowl Area, look for the Check-In table. Be sure you check-in prior to your mandatory pre-race briefing so we’ll know you’ll be entering the water—very important for our Safety Team!!! After checking in, feel free to pick up snacks, purchase gear, or use the port-a-potties.

Mandatory Pre-Race Briefing

The pre-race briefings will take place at the bottom of the bowl just above the foot trail to the Timer Line. The briefing will cover:

  • Course

  • River Conditions (Current, Water Temperature)

  • Wetsuits

  • Weather Conditions

  • Swim Safety (Tow Float, Panic, Watercraft, Swimmer in Distress Procedure)

  • Timing/Timer Line

  • Entry Path

  • Gear Drop-off Procedure

  • Timing Chip Drop-off/Gear Pick-up

  • Exit Paths

  • After-Swim Safety (Dry Towel, Warm Clothes, Warm Beverage, Warming Tent)

Average Weather Conditions

June tends to be an unpredictable month for weather in Portland. Sometimes it’s cold and rainy, while other times it’s warm and dry. According to weatherspark.com, “On June 14, the temperature in Portland typically ranges from 53°F to 71°F and is rarely below 48°F or above 84°F.”

Average Water Temperature

Over the past five years, the water temperature in the Willamette River in Portland on June 14th has averaged about 65 degrees Fahrenheit, with a low of 55 in 2022 and a high of 72 in 2025. Warm river water in mid-June is just as likely as chilly water. We will send out the forecasted water temperature in our email to participants a week prior to the event, but we recommend that you wear a wetsuit (or at least have one handy, just in case).

River Tide Prediction

The Willamette River is tidal, meaning the water current flows upriver and downriver depending on the moon phase. On the morning of the race, thre current will flow downstream. That means that the first half of your swim will be with the current, while the return trip will be against the current. Pace yourself on the way out and expect the water to feel noticeably slower on the way back to the Timer Line. Regardless, the river current is typically about half a mile per hour in the summer in downtown Portland.

The Swim Route

The swim will begin and end at Tom McCall Waterfront Park – Bowl Area. The course will run counterclockwise along the West side of the river under both the Hawthorne and the Morrison bridges and then back. We will mark the course with buoys for easy sighting, and safety volunteers in kayaks, SUPs, and jet skis will monitor the swimmers.

After the Race

Once your swim is finished and you have exited the water across the Timer Line, head to the Gear Drop/Pickup Table, where you will return your timing chip and retrieve your gear bag based on your swim number. Then with your sandals or flip-flops on, follow the Exit Paths back to the grass area where you can change into your warm clothes. We suggest you stay at the race site until you have completely warmed up so we can keep an eye on you for signs of hypothermia.

IMPORTANT TIME LIMIT: The Portland Spirit will leave its boat dock at 11:30 AM sharp, and we must have all our gear, equipment, swimmers, and volunteers out of its path.

Get Early Bird! (Ends 4/30)